Keep yourself safe: risk assessment and public liability insurance

Everything in life entails a risk, even not doing anything at all. Assessing and managing risks is part of life, but it becomes critical in professions that involve large numbers of people,Ā like live music.

As a performer, you can't think only of yourself. You must consider the safety of every person who makes your job possible: fellow musicians, engineers, assistants, organisers, logistics, venue staff, and of course, the audience. There are two steps to this: the first is the risk assessment, in which you identify what could go wrong, and take action to prevent it before it happens. The second is a contingency plan, in which you determine what to do in case something goes wrong despite your efforts.

Risk assessment

To illustrate this step, let's have a look at a gig Millicent hadĀ at Shangri-La The Shard, London, sometime last year.

Shangri-La The Shard is a prestigious venue with luxury amenities, and the staff is used to accommodate prestigious guests that require a special

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Work Not Play (donā€™t work for free!)

If you've followed Millicent as an artist or as an educator for any amount of time, you know that she strongly advocates for musiciansĀ getting paid for their work.Ā This is a position that she shares with the Musician Union, of which she has served as member of the Executive Committee and the Midlands Regional Committee. In a campaign called "WorkĀ Not Play", the MUĀ offers resources to empower musicians so they don't feel pressured to accept unpaid jobs. This includes a list of fair play venues, a digital tool to define your rates, training to improve your negotiation skills, and more.

Millicent has also created her own resources to tackle this issue. In the free gifts section of our website, you can find the leaflet "Ten Reasons Why They Will Pay You Before Gig Day". In the store, the e-learning course "How To Work Out Your Gig Fee, Collect Your Payment And Manage Your Money" will walk you through everything you need to know in order to get paid as a professional musician.

Remember: b...

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Rejuvenation, the key for a long-lasting and fulfilling music career

Creative endeavours are, at the same time, energising and draining. Gigging musicians thrive on stage, but once they get off, they are hit with the exhaustion of having given their all to their audience, their clients and their craft. If, on top of performing, they areĀ in charge of logistics, finances and/or organisation, as it was the case for the women who put together the Time For My Music's evening showcase last October, this fatigue gets dialled up to eleven.

If you plan to become a professional gigging musician, it's essential that you come up with mechanisms to rejuvenate after shows. There's only so much your body and mind can endure with no support, and if you force yourself to move forward despite signs of alarm like pain, sleep issues, and anxiety, you're going to burn out.

On one hand, there's the physical side of things: take care of your health and cultivate your endurance with an appropriate diet, physical activity and good sleep. Allot time specifically to rest, both ...

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Gigging musicians: adaptability is key!

One of the most essential strengths a gigging musician must have is adaptability. Every gig comes with a new set of conditions:Ā from the dimensions and design of the stage, to the size and position of the audience, to the PA system and the staff in charge of it.

Let's make an example out of the latter: for a certain gig some time ago, Millicent asked about the technical set upā€”as she always doesā€”but a little later than usual. She got a reply through WhatsAppĀ many hours later, and had to continue the conversation the next day.Ā It became evident that the person answering to her wasn't tech-savvy, but rather followed instructions by the tech people at their organisation, which made the process slow. Thinking that this could cause problems down the line, Millicent decided to take her own PA system equipment to the venue, just in case.

When the day of the gig came, the sax mic didn't work, and there was no one among the staff who knew what to do. On top of that, Millicent had sent her bac...

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25 steps forward towards the music career of your dreams

Are you a gigging musician, singer, rapper or spoken word artiste with big dreams but unsure of how to make them come true? If so, this is for you.

Learn how to get better quality gigs, ensure the longevity of your career and the energy in your performances, build your image and increase your income with Revealed, a free booklet where Millicent Stephenson, a multi-award winning saxophonist with a successful career that spans decades, condensed her experience and insight into 25 key secrets.

As you read, it's a free booklet, no catch! All you have to do is to provide a valid e-mail address. You won't receive spam and your information isn't going to be disclosed to any third party. As easy as that!

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Level up your performance by using Backing Tracks to their max potential

No band? No problem! Backing Tracks got you covered, and if you don't know how to use them or want to get better at it, then this course is for you.

Learn where to buy professionally made Backing Tracks that enhance your performances, what software to use in order to adjust them to your needs and style, and how to play them to their max potential during gigs. Get ideas through real life examples, detailed explanations and quick tips that are easy to apply and remember. After this course, your performances will be on a while new level!

Watch the introductory video and get your course clicking here.

You can see more courses and resources in our store. If you want to get familiar with Millicent's teaching style first, there are free gifts for you as well!

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TRANSCRIPTION: "Success Beyond The Score" Podcast, S.3, EP. 2

Here is the transcription of episode 2 of season 3 of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score". Happy reading!


- Watch the video of the episode here: YouTube

- Listen to the audio of the episode here: Kajabi


PODCAST INTRO:

Today, the topic is: does your music have the juice to pull a crowd? This is so important. I think this is a really, really good topic because, um, I think it was just about a couple of weeks ago, a promoter contacted me and they said: Look, I am looking for someone to headline my show. Do you know anyone? And I was like: What type of musician you're looking for? And they described the kind they were looking for. I thought: Mm interesting. Who do I know -apart from myself- who do I know that they could book, that people would want to see. Because that is what they were looking for, they wanted to put someone on their flyer, someone local, someone in the West Midlands, they didn't want to travel too far. Yes, they could go abroad. Yes, they could go to London. B...

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MU: Access Riders for Musicians

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As musicians, we require that the venues where we play provide us with certain things in order for us to be able to offer our best performances. Some examples are tables to locate our equipment, dressing rooms to get ready after a long ride to the venue, parking space near or in front of the venue with the possibility to offload, ramp access, etc. While some might think those are a given that all venues offer by default, the truth is that many of them do not. This is particularly troublesome for musicians with disabilities. After all, if you require certain accommodations due to a disability, you might be hesitant to try your hand at gigging due to fear of venues ignoring your needs.

First of all, rest assured knowing that all musicians have the same right to perform at public venues, no matter whether they have a disability or not. To ensure that this is a reality, the key is that artists and venue owners communicate in advance to clarify the needs of the show and take action for ...

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TRANSCRIPTION: "Success Beyond The Score" Podcast, S.3, EP. 1

Here is the transcription of episode 1 of season 3 of the podcast "Success Beyond The Score". Happy reading!


- Watch the video of the episode here:Ā YouTubeĀ 

- Listen to the audio of the episode here: Kajabi


PODCAST INTRO

This is ā€œSuccess Beyond The Scoreā€, a podcast giving insights and tips to help you learn how to build your music career, from the best in the field, by Millicent Stephenson. Millicent is a multi-award winning saxophonist and endorser of Harry Hartman's Fiberreeds who is currently serving on the executive committee of the Musicians Union. With over 40 years of experience in the creative industry, Millicent has honed her performance and business skills. She provides personal development, training and coaching via her online platform: www.successbeyondthescore.com.

EPISODE INTRO

Hi! I am Millicent Stephenson and there are three things I absolutely believe in (apart from technology, which would the fourth thing). Number one, I believe every musician, whether you ...

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Sharon: A case of Success Beyond The Score

Some time ago, Sharon attended one of Millicent's "getting paid" webinars. She applied the principles discussed during the session and got good results, so she wrote to Millicent to tell her all about it. We are very happy for Sharon and want to share her words with you:

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Thank you so much, Millicent!

I really should have messaged you before, but here it is: I am so grateful for the tips you gave on the webinar. I followed your advice about mentioning expenses and I received Ā£60 and food for a community event āœŠšŸ¾. In the end, it was only required to do a play/workshop for about 15mins. The organiser was very happy šŸ˜Š. A young woman came to me afterwards and asked if I would record her playing the djembe. She had played dhol drum years back and experienced low self esteem, largely due to family dynamics. She left the event with her recording and beaming šŸ˜. This was a fantastic exchange and made it all so worth it šŸ¤©

Thank you so much again, Millicent! šŸ™šŸ¾ā¤ļø


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Best wishes for both...

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